(Long Island, N.Y.) Avatar marks the return of James Cameron to feature films since puttering around on the ocean floor making documentaries for the last 12 years. Yes, it’s hard to believe it’s been that long since Cameron shattered box office records with 1997’s Titanic, and I was personally rather distressed by the length of his hiatus.
Not getting any new films from the man that brought me cinematic gems such as Terminator 1 and 2, Aliens, The Abyss and True Lies really took its toll on me after a while. But he’s finally back, and after a ridiculous amount of hype and hyperbole has unleashed Avatar upon the masses, an epic 3D sci-fi tale combining live-action and computer graphics. But despite lofty claims by Cameron that Avatar would revolutionize the way we watch films forever (short answer: it won’t), the question remains: can the man still bring the goods after sitting on the sidelines for so long?
Avatar has been in production for several years, with Cameron talking smack early on about how the CG characters and environments would be truly photo-realistic; that it was to be filmed in 3D with newly developed stereoscopic cameras that simulate human sight and provide a true sense of depth; and it would pioneer great advances in actor motion capture. From a man known for his big-budget blockbusters that push the limits of current technology, these aren’t claims to be taken lightly. Soon, the hype train was rolling and it seemed that nothing could derail it. But the much-anticipated appearance of Avatar’s first theatrical teaser trailer was met with as much acclaim as it was
doubt and disappointment. As time passed, the voices of the skeptics grew only louder, but Cameron himself held steadfast, even requesting the release date be moved from the summer (the usual release time for big movies) to the holiday season, just as he had done years before with the successful release of Titanic.
Let’s pause for a moment for a quick side note: Avatar is being released to theaters in IMAX 3D, regular 3D, and standard ol’ 2D. For the purposes of this review, I watched the IMAX 3D version, Yes, it was pretty. Onward.
So, what is this Avatar thing, anyway? Well, in many ways it’s a return to Cameron’s roots as a science fiction fan; in fact, he claims the inspiration for Avatar was “every sci-fi book I ever read as a child.” What that translates into is basically an intense love story between a human man and an exotic female alien (I know, every young boy’s fantasy). Now, before you macho types start groaning about this being a “lovey-dovey chick flick,” remember that when you strip away the bloody veneer of Arnold Schwarzenegger blowing away everyone in sight, the original Terminator was also, at its core, a love story. And everyone loves The Terminator, right? I know I sure do.
Set in the year of 2154, Avatar is the story of Pandora, a beautiful and dangerous planet in Alpha Centauri, which is over 4 light years from Earth. There rages a conflict between the native Na’vi, a peaceful race of 12-foot tall blue-skinned humanoids, and human colonists hoping to plunder Pandora of its natural resources. Enter Jake Sully (Terminator Salvation’s Sam Worthington), a marine rendered paraplegic after taking a bullet in combat. Due to crummy veteran’s benefits he can’t afford the operation that could restore his legs, and as a result he’s wheelchair-bound. But as luck would have it, his twin brother is killed while prepping for something called the “Avatar Project” and Jake is selected to take his place due to his being a perfect genetic match. Taken to Pandora, Jake discovers that the Avatar Project enables humans to “project” themselves into and control genetically-grown and tailored half human/half Na’vi bodies known as “Avatars,” enabling Jake to walk once again. Initially designed to be used to explore the harsh habitat of Pandora and establish contact with and learn from the Na’vi, Jake is given another task- to infiltrate and gather Intel on the Na’vi, so that the human military might better be able to deal with ’em when the time soon comes.
Although recognized as an Avatar and initially regarded as an outsider, Jake nonetheless manages to live amongst the Na’vi and eventually gain their trust, but plans go awry when he
finds himself falling in love not only with their spiritual, nature-based culture and the beauty of Pandora, but with Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña), a feisty warrior gal. Soon Jake must decide which world he now belongs to and pick a side in the upcoming conflict between the primitive Na’vi and the high-tech human intruders…
Plot-wise, Avatar was predictable and unoriginal- it’s basically a complete re-tread of Dances With Wolves with a sci-fi/ecological spin. I found this to be a fairly major let-down, given the ability James Cameron has displayed in the past to craft a fairly groundbreaking tale. However, that didn’t stop Avatar from being a really good movie. The story, while paint-by-the-numbers, was emotional and well-told; the chemistry Jake and Neytiri display while exploring the lush forests and jungles of Pandora is very organic and endearing; and the acting across the board was excellent. Also, the design, detail and animation of all the CG was super-impressive…in fact, the graphics on display in Avatar really set a new bar for film effects in general. The Na’vi (in addition to the environments of Pandora) are all 100% rendered on computers, but I’ve never seen such fluid, emotionally expressive CG characters before. Quick little trailer clips don’t give you the proper appreciation for it- it takes actually viewing the movie itself and seeing the characters in motion for an extended period to understand. If viewed with an open mind, I dare even the most grumpy moviegoer not to be enthralled.
But for all the hype about how Avatar was going to change movies forever, in the end it’s just another pretty flick with some good acting and characterization that could simply be considered the next evolution of computer graphics. That’s all. In other words, it’s the type of movie Star Wars creator George Lucas would make if he cared at all about story and character and not just getting to the next batch of CG muppets.
I’m also not sure how Avatar would hold up to a second viewing, but the beautiful visuals certainly help to keep your attention glued to the screen the first time around. After not really being all that wowed by the recent disaster flick 2012, I was beginning to think I had become completely jaded when it came to visual effects. However,
Avatar really blew me away in that regard. But is that enough too keep one busy for a second 3-hour go-around? Or a third? Due to its predictability, going into Avatar the first time you already know everything that’s going to happen, and it’s not like there’s a detailed and complex plot to dissect afterwards. But like I said, the story is solid, touching, and told quite deftly, and the assorted creatures, landscapes, and military vehicles (the designs of which were very much inspired by Cameron’s 1986 film Aliens) are all quite imaginative. All that really helps to suck you in.
But with all that said, would I have preferred that as much effort went into crafting a unique and intriguing tale as making all the pretty mountains, animals, and spaceships? Sure. But someone laid out almost 300 large for Avatar’s budget, and as much as I would have liked him to do so, James Cameron can’t reinvent the wheel when he’s on someone else’s dime like that, especially in this economy. But despite the fact that Avatar has a very rudimentary plot, I’m just happy to finally watch a blockbuster-type movie that isn’t soulless, mindless, focus-tested chum like 95% of Hollywood movies are nowadays. Of course, Cameron is a big enough name that he probably could have just thumbed his nose at the studio and ran with some completely out of left field plot concept, but maybe the guy’s rusty after 12 years. I’ll forgive him. Besides, you want a fresh plot that actually takes chances? Expecting to get it from a $300 million Hollywood studio film simply isn’t realistic…you usually only get breakthroughs like that from cheap films made outside the system, like the incredible District 9 (on DVD December 22nd!).
Now, the big shocker, at least for me: Sam Worthington actually wasn’t terrible in his leading role here. Maybe it was just because he was voice acting for a 12-foot Smurf for most of the movie, but I thought he didn’t stink up the screen nearly as bad as he did in Terminator Salvation. He actually displayed a fair amount of charisma, although that didn’t make up for his native Australian accent constantly popping up throughout the movie (just like in Terminator Salvation). Sigourney Weaver (as Dr. Grace Augustine, a botanist in charge of the Avatar Project) had a much bigger part than I thought she would have based on previews, and she was great as usual, lending the proceedings a great deal of wit, intelligence, and sass. Michelle Rodriguez reprises every role she’s ever played in her professional career as “The Tough Chick,” something she excels in. And I was personally psyched to hear the great Wes Studi voicing Eytucan, the Na’vi king and Neytiri’s father (his casting made perfect sense, given the many parallels between the Na’vi and Native Americans). But the movie is completely stolen by Zoe Saldaña as Neytiri, whose charm and talent are undeniable.
Anyway, Avatar is VERY long, but I actually didn’t mind the excessive length in this rare instance. In fact, it was the first 3 hour movie I’ve seen in ages that DIDN’T make me want to kill myself, so it must have done something right. Again, it doesn’t live up to the insane hype, but I don’t think anything on Earth really could have. But it’s still a really good film backed by the talents of an army of excellent actors, artists, and designers.
But in the end, I’m just happy James Cameron is finally back.
